1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of filtering radioactive particles from the ambient air and sealably containing such filtered particles, and more particularly, filtering accomplished by a suction means located downstream of a high efficiency filter and the containment of filtered radioactive particles in a removable, disposable bladder-filter unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The radioactivity of an object may be due to "fixed" contamination or "loose" contamination. While the former cannot be easily removed, the latter is often due to radioactively contaminated dust or particulate matter and decontamination may be accomplished simply by the removal of such particles from the surface of the object. Such is presently accomplished by using conventional vacuum cleaners.
There are several significant problems inherent in such a practice. The vacuum cleaner itself becomes contaminated, and must be taken apart and cleaned after every usage. Such cleaning generates radioactive waste that requires expensive disposal by burial. Furthermore, even aftr being cleaned, the vacuum cleaner must still be regarded as radioactively contaminated and therefore requires storage in a "control" area with other radioactively contaminated items. Such items must be checked in and out, and constantly accounted for. Personnel using contaminated vacuum cleaners must wear protective gear, and even then are exposed to radioactivity.
The procedure for disposing of the radioactive particles contained in the vacuum cleaner's waste bag is very time consuming because the bag must be tightly sealed prior to its removal from the vacuum cleaner to prevent the escape of radioactive particles into the ambient atmosphere. Typically, this procedure requires two men 3 hours to complete, i.e., 6 man-hours, and these men, although wearing protective clothing, are nonetheless subjected to radioactivity throughout this interval.
As conventional vacuum cleaners sometimes leak vacuumed particles into the ambient air during their operation, the hazard of radioactive exposure for all personnel in the working area is increased.
Should the vacuum cleaner become obsolete or mechanically inoperative, it would require disposal by burial.
The present invention provides an apparatus which effectively vacuums up and retains radioactive particles, does not leak such particles into the ambient atmosphere during its operation, and provides for quick and safe removal of filtered, contained particles (the disposal procedure requires approximately one-third of a man-hour). Furthrmore, as no part of the apparatus other than the bladder-filter unit which contains the filtered radioactive particles comes into contact with such particles, the remainder of the apparatus need not be cleaned after every usage nor stored in a "control" area, and will not require disposal by burial in the event it becomes mechanically inoperative or obsolete.